As far as Ryan understood, the matriarch of the Howard family was one of those old-school types.
The Howards, elated to finally have a granddaughter-in-law, seemed eager to shower Ivy with all the best scripts Hollywood had to offer.
But Ivy wasnât one for nepotism; she wanted to earn her roles fair and square.
Of course, this was all insider gossip Ryan had picked up, the truth of which was anyoneâs guess.
After years in the industry, Ryan had his own web of connections.
Ivy nodded in agreement, not denying the rumors. Since it was public knowledge, there was no point in playing coy-it would just come off as petty.
Besides, during her contract with Balfour Studios, being known as a Howard could only work in her favor. There were no downsides.
-She was acutely aware of the vast divide between herself and the Howard family-it was like comparing the earth to the stars.
âI worry that my grandparents-in-law at home just donât get the younger generation and that might lead to some misunderstandings. Theyâre getting on in years, and I donât want any unnecessary drama,â Ivy confessed.
Her concern wasnât just about the Howard familyâs reputation but also about Dean and Alyssa. She feared they might misconstrue any tabloid drama as a sign of discord with Balfour, something that could go against the terms of their agreement.
Ryan nodded sympathetically.
Joining a family like the Howards had its pros and cons. Cases like this perhaps. highlighted the cons, but Ivy seemed largely unfettered.
Ryan was more than willing to do her a small favor when it was within his power to do so. After all, it couldnât hurt to curry favor with the future lady of the Howard family.
âNo biggie. Getting things cleared up is for the best. But how do you think we should go about it?â he asked.
\Ivyâs eyes widened, surprised at how easily Ryan was on board.
âI was thinking about it earlier, and probably the best move right now is to post a clarification on Twitter,â she suggested. âAs long as we make it clear weâre just friends and not romantically involved, it should suffice.â
Ryan agreed with the plan, âWhat should the message say?â
After some discussion, they decided to use one of their phones to pick out a photo.
During lunch, they had casually snapped a few pics, which now seemed perfect for the situation.
Balfour, however, didnât expect to see such a scene when he arrived with Ivyâs favorite pastries to surprise her on set.
Ivy and some stranger were huddled together, whispering and laughing.
Ivy looked relaxed, even flashing a smile at something the man said.
âWhatâs going on here?â Balfourâs voice cut through the air with a chill.
Ivy looked up, bewildered, towards the direction of the voice.
In the next moment, she felt Balfour breeze past her like a gust of wind.
âHey-
Balfour had asked a single question, not even waiting for an explanation before he grabbed Ryan by the collar and flung him back with brute force!
Under normal circumstances, Ryan could hold his own against a man of Balfourâs build, but he was completely caught off guard this time and tumbled to the floor.